All posts tagged terrorism

The Wall Street Journal reported that at attack last spring on the Metcalf Transmission Substation outside San Jose, Calif., is raising concerns that there may be concerted efforts to sabotage the U.S. electric grid. Reporter Rebecca Smith answers some questions about the article:

This attack happened in April – why haven’t we heard about it before?There were some local media reports at the time about vandalism at the substation. But the utility that owns the substation, PG&E Corp., investigators and federal agencies didn’t want to draw attention to the attack, for fear it would inspire copycats.

So why is The Wall Street Journal publicizing it?Americans have a right to know about serious threats to their security. And Jon Wellinghoff, the former head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, decided to go public with his concerns about the attack because he fears not enough has been done to protect the grid.

Where are the most dangerous places in the world to run a business? The geography of risk changed significantly in the last year, according to the 2013 Risk Map released today by the risk management business of Aon, a London-based insurance and business services company. But some parts also stayed the same: Central Africa remains a no-go zone, while the Middle East and Central Asia are still very risky.

Countries were evaluated for overall risk, and also given special mention for particular risks in six categories: exchange transfers, sovereign non-payment of debts, political interference, supply chain disruption, legal and regulatory risk and political violence. Nine Middle Eastern countries and 23 African countries were said to be particularly risky in all six of them.

Some countries made improvements in the last year, with their risk ratings lowered, while others were downgraded.